Spring Break
Plagiarism serious matter to be dealt with in academia
Lawrence Souder
Issue date: 4/16/04 Section: Ed-Op
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As a writer, I love words, even some of my own. In fact, when I write for profit, my love can be possessive. So F. Scott Fitzgerald's advice for writing concisely feels harsh to me; you must "murder your darlings." My love of words also provokes my feelings over a related writing issue - plagiarism. This word derives from the Latin word plagiarius or kidnapper. The etymology seems so apt to me; if my words are my darlings, then shouldn't I regard stolen words as hostages? When my students plagiarize the words of others, should I see their act as tantamount to kidnapping? As a matter of fact, in my more mean-spirited moments, I would like to elevate plagiarism to a federal offense. Of course, when I calm down, I'm more charitable towards my students who fall off the academic honesty wagon, but I remain troubled over the spread of plagiarism in the academy.
I routinely encounter four or five cases of documented plagiarism every term. During my counseling interviews with the offending students, I try to explain that their misappropriation of intellectual property has consequences not just for themselves but also for our social practices of ethical decision making and for the remaining relationship they may have with me, their teacher. But frankly, I myself do not find all of these reasons compelling.
It's not easy to argue convincingly that students who plagiarize will pay a price. After all, it's no secret that university professors have no incentive to detect and then confront plagiarists; such policing takes much time and psychic energy that could otherwise go toward research. Besides, does anyone outside the walls of the university care about plagiarism? It's tempting to offer the high profile examples of writers brought down for plagiarism to suggest that the answer is yes.
In 1987 The New York Times ran a front-page story with the headline, "Biden's Debate Finale: An Echo from Abroad." The U.S. Senator from Delaware, Joseph Biden, it seems, borrowed the opening paragraph of his speech from a speech delivered five months earlier by Neil Kinnock, a Labour party leader in Great Britain. Biden has since never rekindled his presidential aspirations.
I routinely encounter four or five cases of documented plagiarism every term. During my counseling interviews with the offending students, I try to explain that their misappropriation of intellectual property has consequences not just for themselves but also for our social practices of ethical decision making and for the remaining relationship they may have with me, their teacher. But frankly, I myself do not find all of these reasons compelling.
It's not easy to argue convincingly that students who plagiarize will pay a price. After all, it's no secret that university professors have no incentive to detect and then confront plagiarists; such policing takes much time and psychic energy that could otherwise go toward research. Besides, does anyone outside the walls of the university care about plagiarism? It's tempting to offer the high profile examples of writers brought down for plagiarism to suggest that the answer is yes.
In 1987 The New York Times ran a front-page story with the headline, "Biden's Debate Finale: An Echo from Abroad." The U.S. Senator from Delaware, Joseph Biden, it seems, borrowed the opening paragraph of his speech from a speech delivered five months earlier by Neil Kinnock, a Labour party leader in Great Britain. Biden has since never rekindled his presidential aspirations.
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